The nucleus accumbens in monkeys (Macaca fascicularis): II. Emotion and motivation

The prefrontal cortex: from monkey to man

The prefrontal cortex is so important to human beings that, if deprived of it, our behaviour is reduced to action-reactions and automatisms, with no ability to make deliberate decisions. Why does the prefrontal cortex hold such importance in humans? In answer, this review draws on the proximity between humans and other primates, which enables us, through comparative anatomical-functional analysis, to understand the cognitive functions we have in common and specify those that distinguish humans from their closest cousins. First, a focus on the lateral region of the prefrontal cortex illustrates the existence of a continuum between rhesus monkeys (the most studied primates in neuroscience) and humans for most of the major cognitive functions in which this region of the brain plays a central role. This continuum involves the presence of elementary mental operations in the rhesus monkey (e.g. working memory or response inhibition) that are constitutive of 'macro-functions' such as planning, problem-solving and even language production. Second, the human prefrontal cortex has developed dramatically compared to that of other primates. This increase seems to concern the most anterior part (the frontopolar cortex). In humans, the development of the most anterior prefrontal cortex is associated with three major and interrelated cognitive changes: (i) a greater working memory capacity, allowing for greater integration of past experiences and prospective futures; (ii) a greater capacity to link discontinuous or distant data, whether temporal or semantic; and (iii) a greater capacity for abstraction, allowing humans to classify knowledge in different ways, to engage in analogical reasoning or to acquire abstract values that give rise to our beliefs and morals. Together, these new skills enable us, among other things, to develop highly sophisticated social interactions based on language, enabling us to conceive beliefs and moral judgements and to conceptualize, create and extend our vision of our environment beyond what we can physically grasp. Finally, a model of the transition of prefrontal functions between humans and non-human primates concludes this review.

The neural circuits of monogamous behavior

The interest in studying the neural circuits related to mating behavior and mate choice in monogamous species lies in the parallels found between human social structure and sexual behavior and that of other mammals that exhibit social monogamy, potentially expanding our understanding of human neurobiology and its underlying mechanisms. Extensive research has suggested that social monogamy, as opposed to non-monogamy in mammals, is a consequence of the neural encoding of sociosensory information from the sexual partner with an increased reward value. Thus, the reinforced value of the mate outweighs the reward value of mating with any other potential sexual partners. This mechanism reinforces the social relationship of a breeding pair, commonly defined as a pair bond. In addition to accentuated prosocial behaviors toward the partner, other characteristic behaviors may appear, such as territorial and partner guarding, selective aggression toward unfamiliar conspecifics, and biparental care. Concomitantly, social buffering and distress upon partner separation are also observed. The following work intends to overview and compare known neural and functional circuits that are related to mating and sexual behavior in monogamous mammals. We will particularly discuss reports on Cricetid rodents of the Microtus and Peromyscus genus, and New World primates (NWP), such as the Callicebinae subfamily of the titi monkey and the marmoset (Callithrix spp.). In addition, we will mention the main factors that modulate the neural circuits related to social monogamy and how that modulation may reflect phenotypic differences, ultimately creating the widely observed diversity in social behavior.

Advances in understanding meso-cortico-limbic-striatal systems mediating risky reward seeking

The risk of an aversive consequence occurring as the result of a reward-seeking action can have a profound effect on subsequent behavior. Such aversive events can be described as punishers, as they decrease the probability that the same action will be produced again in the future and increase the exploration of less risky alternatives. Punishment can involve the omission of an expected rewarding event ("negative" punishment) or the addition of an unpleasant event ("positive" punishment). Although many individuals adaptively navigate situations associated with the risk of negative or positive punishment, those suffering from substance use disorders or behavioral addictions tend to be less able to curtail addictive behaviors despite the aversive consequences associated with them. Here, we discuss the psychological processes underpinning reward seeking despite the risk of negative and positive punishment and consider how behavioral assays in animals have been employed to provide insights into the neural mechanisms underlying addictive disorders. We then review the critical contributions of dopamine signaling to punishment learning and risky reward seeking, and address the roles of interconnected ventral striatal, cortical, and amygdala regions to these processes. We conclude by discussing the ample opportunities for future study to clarify critical gaps in the literature, particularly as related to delineating neural contributions to distinct phases of the risky decision-making process.

The Ventral Striatum is a Key Node for Functional Recovery of Finger Dexterity After Spinal Cord Injury in Monkeys

In a recent study, we demonstrated that the ventral striatum (VSt) controls finger movements directly during the early recovery stage after spinal cord injury (SCI), implying that the VSt may be a part of neural substrates responsible for the recovery of dexterous finger movements. The VSt is accepted widely as a key node for motivation, but is not thought to be involved in the direct control of limb movements. Therefore, whether a causal relationship exists between the VSt and motor recovery after SCI is unknown, and the role of the VSt in the recovery of dexterous finger movements orfinger movements in general after SCI remains unclear. In the present study, functional brain imaging in a macaque model of SCI revealed a strengthened functional connectivity between motor-related areas and the VSt during the recovery process for precision grip, but not whole finger grip after SCI. Furthermore, permanent lesion of the VSt impeded the recoveryof precision grip, but not coarse grip. Thus, the VSt was needed specifically for functional recovery of dexterous finger movements. These results suggest that the VSt is the key node of the cortical reorganization required for functional recovery of finger dexterity.

Amygdala and Ventral Striatum Make Distinct Contributions to Reinforcement Learning

Reinforcement learning (RL) theories posit that dopaminergic signals are integrated within the striatum to associate choices with outcomes. Often overlooked is that the amygdala also receives dopaminergic input and is involved in Pavlovian processes that influence choice behavior. To determine the relative contributions of the ventral striatum (VS) and amygdala to appetitive RL, we tested rhesus macaques with VS or amygdala lesions on deterministic and stochastic versions of a two-arm bandit reversal learning task. When learning was characterized with an RL model relative to controls, amygdala lesions caused general decreases in learning from positive feedback and choice consistency. By comparison, VS lesions only affected learning in the stochastic task. Moreover, the VS lesions hastened the monkeys' choice reaction times, which emphasized a speed-accuracy trade-off that accounted for errors in deterministic learning. These results update standard accounts of RL by emphasizing distinct contributions of the amygdala and VS to RL.

Neural Activities Underlying the Feedback Express Salience Prediction Errors for Appetitive and Aversive Stimuli

Feedback information is essential for us to adapt appropriately to the environment. The feedback-related negativity (FRN), a frontocentral negative deflection after the delivery of feedback, has been found to be larger for outcomes that are worse than expected, and it reflects a reward prediction error derived from the midbrain dopaminergic projections to the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), as stated in reinforcement learning theory. In contrast, the prediction of response-outcome (PRO) model claims that the neural activity in the mediofrontal cortex (mPFC), especially the ACC, is sensitive to the violation of expectancy, irrespective of the valence of feedback. Additionally, increasing evidence has demonstrated significant activities in the striatum, anterior insula and occipital lobe for unexpected outcomes independently of their valence. Thus, the neural mechanism of the feedback remains under dispute. Here, we investigated the feedback with monetary reward and electrical pain shock in one task via functional magnetic resonance imaging. The results revealed significant prediction-error-related activities in the bilateral fusiform gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus and left cingulate gyrus for both money and pain. This implies that some regions underlying the feedback may signal a salience prediction error rather than a reward prediction error.

Neural Correlates of Aggression in Medication-Naive Children with ADHD: Multivariate Analysis of Morphometry and Tractography

Aggression is widely observed in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and has been frequently linked to frustration or the unsatisfied anticipation of reward. Although animal studies and human functional neuroimaging implicate altered reward processing in aggressive behaviors, no previous studies have documented the relationship between fronto-accumbal circuitry-a critical cortical pathway to subcortical limbic regions-and aggression in medication-naive children with ADHD. To address this, we collected behavioral measures and parental reports of aggression and impulsivity, as well as structural and diffusion MRI, from 30 children with ADHD and 31 healthy controls (HC) (mean age, 10±2.1 SD). Using grey matter morphometry and probabilistic tractography combined with multivariate statistical modeling (partial least squares regression and support vector regression), we identified anomalies within the fronto-accumbal circuit in childhood ADHD, which were associated with increased aggression. More specifically, children with ADHD showed reduced right accumbal volumes and frontal-accumbal white matter connectivity compared with HC. The magnitude of the accumbal volume reductions within the ADHD group was significantly correlated with increased aggression, an effect mediated by the relationship between the accumbal volume and impulsivity. Furthermore, aggression, but not impulsivity, was significantly explained by multivariate measures of fronto-accumbal white matter connectivity and cortical thickness within the orbitofrontal cortex. Our multi-modal imaging, combined with multivariate statistical modeling, indicates that the fronto-accumbal circuit is an important substrate of aggression in children with ADHD. These findings suggest that strategies aimed at probing the fronto-accumbal circuit may be beneficial for the treatment of aggressive behaviors in childhood ADHD.

Dissociable responses to punishment in distinct striatal regions during reversal learning

Adaptive behavior depends on the ability to flexibly alter our choices in response to changes in reward and punishment contingencies. One brain region frequently implicated in such behavior is the striatum. However, this region is functionally diverse and there are a number of apparent inconsistencies across previous studies. For instance, how can significant BOLD responses in the ventral striatum during punishment-based reversal learning be reconciled with the frequently demonstrated role of the ventral striatum in reward processing? Here we attempt to address this question by separately examining BOLD responses during reversal learning driven by reward and during reversal learning driven by punishment. We demonstrate simultaneous valence-specific and valence-nonspecific signals in the striatum, with the posterior dorsal striatum responding only to unexpected reward, and the anterior ventral striatum responding to both unexpected punishment as well as unexpected reward. These data help to reconcile conflicting findings from previous studies by showing that distinct regions of the striatum exhibit dissociable responses to punishment during reversal learning.

Functional interaction of medial mediodorsal thalamic nucleus but not nucleus accumbens with amygdala and orbital prefrontal cortex is essential for adaptive response selection after reinforcer devaluation

In nonhuman primates, reward-based decision making may be assessed through choices of objects overlying two different foods, one of which has been devalued by selective satiation. The most adaptive object choices yield the food of higher value. A large body of data identifies the amygdala and orbital prefrontal cortex (PFo) as neural mediators of adaptive responses to reinforcer devaluation. More recent work in nonhuman primates reveals the critical role of the medial, magnocellular portion of the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus (MDm) as well. Because both the nucleus accumbens (NA) and the MDm are anatomically related to the amygdala and PFo, and because both regions are implicated in reward processing, we tested whether either region necessarily interacts with the amygdala and PFo to mediate reinforcer devaluation effects. We used a crossed-disconnection design in which monkeys received amygdala and PFo lesions in one hemisphere combined with either NA or MDm lesions in the contralateral hemisphere. Monkeys that sustained NA disconnection, like controls, showed robust shifts in object choices in response to reinforcer devaluation. In contrast, monkeys that sustained MDm disconnection failed to adjust their object choices. Thus, MDm, but not NA, works together with the amygdala and PFo to support reward-based decision making.

Apathy and the basal ganglia

We should like to emphasize the following points: 1. Apathy is defined here as a quantified and observable behavioral syndrome consisting in a quantitative reduction of voluntary (or goal-directed) behaviors; 2. Therefore, apathy occurs when the systems that generate and control voluntary actions are altered; 3. These systems are mostly represented by the different subregions embedded in the Prefrontal cortex (PFC) and in the basal ganglia regions that are closely connected with the PFC; 4. In consequence, clinically, apathy is a prefrontal syndrome either due to direct lesions of the PFC or to lesions of basal ganglia areas that are closely related to the PFC; 5. Apathy is not a single entity but rather heterogeneous. Several different mechanisms may lead to apathy; Because there are several anatomical-functional prefrontal-basal ganglia circuits, the underlying mechanisms responsible for apathy may differ according to which prefrontal-basal ganglia circuit is affected; 6. In this context, apathy is the macroscopic results of the disruption of one or several elementary steps necessary for goal-directed behavior that are subserved by different prefrontal-basal ganglia circuits; 7. Intense apathy is related to caudate nucleus and GPi, disrupting associative and limbic pathways from/to the PFC; 8. in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and focal lesions (caudate nuclei, GPi), apathy may be due to a loss of PFC activation; 9. In Parkinson's disease (PD), apathy may be due to a loss of signal focalization; 10. More globally, we propose that apathy may be explained by the impact of lesions or dysfunctions of the BG, because these lesions or dysfunctions lead to a loss of amplification of the relevant signal and/or to a loss of temporal and spatial focalization, both of which result in a diminished extraction of the relevant signal within the frontal cortex, thereby inhibiting the capacity of the frontal cortex to select, initiate, maintain and shift programs of action.

Apathy and the Functional Anatomy of the Prefrontal Cortex–Basal Ganglia Circuits

The clinical signs grouped under the concept of apathy are a common feature of prefrontal and basal ganglia lesions or dysfunctions and can therefore help to improve our understanding of the functional anatomy of the prefrontal-basal ganglia system. Apathy is here defined as a quantitative reduction of voluntary, goal-directed behaviors. The underlying mechanisms responsible for apathy can be divided into three subtypes of disrupted processing: 'emotional-affective', 'cognitive' and 'auto-activation'. Apathy due to the disruption of 'emotional-affective' processing refers to the inability to establish the necessary linkage between emotional-affective signals and the ongoing or forthcoming behavior. It may be related to lesions of the orbital-medial prefrontal cortex or to the related subregions (limbic territory) within the basal ganglia (e.g. ventral striatum, ventral pallidum). Apathy due to the disruption of 'cognitive' processing refers to difficulties in elaborating the plan of actions necessary for the ongoing or forthcoming behavior. It may be related to lesions of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the related subregions (associative territory) within the basal ganglia (e.g. dorsal caudate nucleus). The disruption of 'auto-activation' processing refers to the inability to self-activate thoughts or self-initiate actions contrasting with a relatively spared ability to generate externally driven behavior. It is responsible for the most severe form of apathy and in most cases the lesions affect bilaterally the associative and limbic territories of the internal portion of the globus pallidus. It characterizes the syndrome of 'auto-activation deficit' (also known as 'psychic akinesia' or 'athymormia'). This syndrome implies that direct lesions of the basal ganglia output result in a loss of amplification of the relevant signal, consequently leading to a diminished extraction of this signal within the frontal cortex. Likewise, apathy occurring in Parkinson's disease could be interpreted as secondary to the loss of spatial and temporal focalization of the signals transferred to the frontal cortex. In both situations (direct basal ganglia lesions and nigro-striatal dopaminergic loss), the capacity of the frontal cortex to select, initiate, maintain and shift programs of actions is impaired.

Neural response to emotional salience in schizophrenia

Neuroimaging probes of brain regions implicated in emotion represent an important research strategy for understanding emotional dysfunction in schizophrenia. Anterior limbic structures, such as the ventral striatum and the amygdala, have been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and the generation of emotional responses, although few studies to date have used emotion probes to target these areas in schizophrenia. With this goal in mind, emotionally salient visual images were used in a simple, nondemanding task. In all, 13 medicated, schizophrenic patients, five unmedicated patients, and 10 healthy volunteers viewed complex visual pictures and a nonsalient, blank screen while regional cerebral blood flow was measured with the [O-15] water technique. Pictures consisted of real world scenes with aversive, positive, and nonaversive content. Eye movements were recorded simultaneous with scan acquisition. Positron emission tomography images were analyzed for baseline, tonic activity, in addition to phasic changes ('activation') to salient stimuli. Lateral eye movement measures and on-line ratings showed good behavioral compliance with the task. Patients with schizophrenia showed impaired neural responses to salient stimuli in the right ventral striatum (VS), and they exhibited elevated tonic activity levels in the right VS and bilateral amygdala, inversely correlated with overall symptom severity. The patients also showed reduced modulation of visual cortex by salient stimuli. The results show that patients with schizophrenia exhibit impaired neural responses to emotionally salient stimuli in the VS, supporting a role for this structure in the pathophysiology of the illness. Reduced modulation of visual cortex by emotionally salient stimuli also suggests a failure to organize cerebral activity at a global level.

Neurocognitive mechanisms of cognitive control: the role of prefrontal cortex in action selection, response inhibition, performance monitoring, and reward-based learning

Convergent evidence highlights the differential contributions of various regions of the prefrontal cortex in the service of cognitive control, but little is understood about how the brain determines and communicates the need to recruit cognitive control, and how such signals instigate the implementation of appropriate performance adjustments. Here we review recent progress from cognitive neuroscience in examining some of the main constituent processes of cognitive control as involved in dynamic decision making: goal-directed action selection, response activation and inhibition, performance monitoring, and reward-based learning. Medial frontal cortex is found to be involved in performance monitoring: evaluating outcome vis-a-vis expectancy, and detecting performance errors or conflicting response tendencies. Lateral and orbitofrontal divisions of prefrontal cortex are involved in subsequently implementing appropriate adjustments.

125I-iomazenil - benzodiazepine receptor binding and serum corticosterone level during psychological stress in a rat model

To test the hypothesis that benzodiazepine receptor density decreases in response to stress, we correlated (125)I-iomazenil ((125)I-IMZ) binding with serum corticosterone levels in a rat model. Wistar male rats were divided into four groups; control group (CON, 10 rats), no physical or psychological stress; and one-, three-, and five-day stress groups of 12 rats each (1-DAY, 3-DAY, and 5-DAY, respectively), receiving psychological stress for the given number of days. Psychological stress were given to rats with a communication box. The standardized uptake value (SUV) of (125)I-iomazenil of the 3-DAY and 5-DAY showed that (125)I-iomazenil-benzodiazepine receptor binding was significantly reduced in the cortices, accumbens nuclei, amygdala and caudate putamen (p<0.05). Serum corticosterone level ratio appeared to be slightly elevated in 3-DAY and 5-DAY, although this elevation was not significant. These data suggest that (125)I-IMZ is a useful radioligand to reflect received stress and its binding in the cortices, accumbens nuclei, amygdala and caudate putamen is strongly affected by psychological stress.

The effect of cingulate cortex lesions on task switching and working memory

Anatomic interconnections between the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices suggest that these areas may have similar functions. Here we report the effect of anterior cingulate removal on task switching, error monitoring, and working memory. Neuroimaging studies have implicated the cingulate cortex in all these processes. Six macaques were taught task switching (TS) and delayed alternation (DA) paradigms. TS required switching between two conditional response tasks with mutually incompatible response selection rules. DA required alternation between two identically covered food-well positions. In the first set of experiments, anterior cingulate lesions did not consistently impair TS or DA performance. One animal performed worst on both TS and DA and in this animal the cingulate sulcus lesion was most complete. In the second set of experiments, we confirmed that larger anterior cingulate lesions, which included the sulcus, consistently impaired TS but only led to a mild and equivocal impairment of DA. The TS error pattern, however, did not suggest an impairment of TS per se. The consequence of a cingulate lesion is, therefore, distinct to that of a prefrontal lesion. TS error distribution analyses provided some support for a cingulate role in monitoring responses for errors and subsequent correction but the pattern of reaction time change in TS was also indicative of a failure to sustain attention to the task and the responses being made.

Comparison of neuronal activity in the rostral supplementary and cingulate motor areas during a task with cognitive and motor demands

A number of cortical motor areas have been identified on the medial wall of the hemisphere in monkeys. However, their specific role in motor control remains unclear. In this study, we sought to describe and compare the functional properties of the presupplementary (pre-SMA) and rostral cingulate (CMAr) motor areas in two monkeys performing a visually instructed, delayed, sequential movement. We recorded 134 task-related neurons in the pre-SMA and 149 in the CMAr. The main difference between the two areas was the abundance of responses to targets (46%) in the pre-SMA, while CMAr activity was more related to reward (28%). Neuronal responses to targets were more phasic and higher in frequency in the pre-SMA than in the CMAr. During the delay, the percentage of neuronal responses was similar in the two areas. The discharge pattern was different depending upon whether the delay duration was fixed or variable but in most neurons was the same regardless of the sequence performed. Movement-related changes were common in the pre-SMA (75%) and in the CMAr (81%) but they occurred earlier in the former. Neurons activated exclusively during movement were more numerous in the CMAr. Finally, neuronal activity in the pre-SMA was more related to the sequential aspect of the task compared to the CMAr. Our results suggest that although the two areas share functional properties, they also participate in different aspects of motor behaviour. Their functional properties reflect their anatomical positions, which give them the potential to integrate external stimuli (pre-SMA) and internal states (CMAr) during motor planning.

Tonic opioid inhibition of the subiculo-accumbens pathway

There is evidence to suggest that medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the nucleus accumbens (NAS) should be sensitive to opiate compounds. However, neuronal responses in the NAS evoked by fimbria stimulation (F-D) are insensitive to systemically or iontophoretically administered morphine. The hypothesis of this study was that fimbria-evoked NAS responses may fail to demonstrate sensitivity to morphine because they are under tonic opioid inhibition and can't be further inhibited by opiates. If correct, then pharmacological inhibition of opioid actions on these NAS neuronal responses should result in an increase of response to fimbria stimulation. The effects of systemic and iontophoretic administrations of naloxone on NAS responses evoked by fimbria stimulation were observed. Systemically and locally administered naloxone selectively increased the excitability of accumbens single-unit responses to fimbria stimulation. Conversely, systemic or iontophoretic administration of morphine was without effect on the same types of NAS responses. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that a tonic opioid inhibition may regulate this pathway. In contrast, naloxone and morphine effect other NAS circuit responses differently than F-D NAS responses. In some cases naloxone and morphine tests have been conducted on different evoked responses from the same neuron. Those results have shown that different responses from the same cell may be differentially affected. Consequently, opioid modulation of activity in the NAS is probably pathway-specific rather than neuron-specific.

The awareness of thirst: proposed neural correlates

The neural and endocrine bases of the generation of thirst are reviewed. Based on this review, a hierarchical system of neural structures that regulate water conservation and acquisition is proposed. The system includes primary sensory-receptive areas; secondary sensory structures (circumventricular organs), which detect levels of hormones, including angiotensin II and vasopressin, which are involved in generating thirst; preoptic and hypothalamic structures; and an area within the ventrolateral quadrant of the periaqueductal gray matter. Hodological and other data are used to determine the hierarchical organization of the system. Based on studies of the effects of lesions to various structures within the hierarchy of the system, it is proposed that the awareness of thirst in rodents is either entirely or predominantly due to neuronal activities in a subsection of the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray matter. It is also hypothesized that the awareness of thirst in primates is due to neuronal activities in both the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray and in a region within the medial prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex.

Dissociable neural responses in human reward systems

Reward is one of the most important influences shaping behavior. Single-unit recording and lesion studies in experimental animals have implicated a number of regions in response to reinforcing stimuli, in particular regions of the extended limbic system and the ventral striatum. In this experiment, functional neuroimaging was used to assess neural response within human reward systems under different psychological contexts. Nine healthy volunteers were scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging during the performance of a gambling task with financial rewards and penalties. We demonstrated neural sensitivity of midbrain and ventral striatal regions to financial rewards and hippocampal sensitivity to financial penalties. Furthermore, we show that neural responses in globus pallidus, thalamus, and subgenual cingulate were specific to high reward levels occurring in the context of increasing reward. Responses to both reward level in the context of increasing reward and penalty level in the context of increasing penalty were seen in caudate, insula, and ventral prefrontal cortex. These results demonstrate dissociable neural responses to rewards and penalties that are dependent on the psychological context in which they are experienced.

A psychophysiological model of emotion space

Despite a wide variety of emotions that can be subjectively experienced, the emotion space has consistently revealed a low dimensionality. The search for corresponding somato-visceral response patterns has been only moderately successful. The authors suggest a solution based on an assumed parallelism between emotion coding and color coding. According to the color detection model proposed by Sokolov and co-workers, neurons responsible for color detection are triggered by a combination of excitations in a limited number of input cells. Similarly, a limited number of input channels may feed complex emotion detectors being located on a hypersphere in a four-dimensional emotion space, the three angles of which correspond to emotional tone, intensity, and saturation, in parallel to hue, lightness, and saturation in color perception. The existence of such a four-dimensional emotion space in the subjective domain is shown by using schematic facial expressions as stimuli. A neurophysiological model is provided in which reticular, hypothalamic, and limbic structures constitute input channels of an emotion detecting system, thus acting as the first layer of emotion predetectors. Hypothalamic neurons with differential sensitivity for various transmitters may elicit a subsequent selective activation in a second layer of predetectors at the thalamic level. The latter are suggested to trigger emotion detectors located in cortical areas, the action of which should be revealed by measures of central nervous system activity. Preliminary results from evoked potential studies show that switching between schematic faces that express different emotions may be used as an objective measure for establishing a psychophysiological emotion space.

Maternal separation and early social deprivation in Octodon degus: quantitative changes of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase-reactive neurons in the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens

The influence of postnatal socio-emotional deprivation on the development of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-diaphorase-reactive neurons in prefrontal cortical areas and in subdivisions of the nucleus accumbens was quantitatively investigated in the precocious rodent Octodon degus. Forty-five-days-old O. degus from two animal groups were compared: (i) degus which were repeatedly separated from their mothers during the first three postnatal weeks and after weaning reared in complete isolation; and (ii) degus which were reared under normal undisturbed social conditions. Socially-deprived animals displayed a significant decrease of NADPH-diaphorase-containing neurons in anterior cingulate cortex (85.5%), the same tendency was observed in the infralimbic, precentral medial and prelimbic prefrontal areas. Similarly, the core region of nucleus accumbens expressed reduced NADPH-diaphorase-reactive neuron numbers in deprived animals (70%), whereas the shell region remained unchanged. Since during normal postnatal development the number of NADPH-diaphorase-reactive neurons gradually decreases in all prefrontal cortical and accumbal regions, the observed deprivation-induced changes may reflect either an excessive reduction of NADPH-diaphorase-positive neurons or a down-regulation of the enzyme in neurons that normally express it. Since some NADPH-diaphorase-containing neurons in the prefrontal cortex have been shown to be GABAergic, it is tempting to speculate that a reduction of these inhibitory neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex may result in an enhanced excitatory output activity of disinhibited projection neurons in this cortical region, including those that project to the core region of the nucleus accumbens. Our results indicate a link between early adverse socio-emotional experience and the maturation of NADPH-reactive neurons and further studies are required to analyse the functional implication for this experience-induced brain pathology.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging of brain reward circuitry in the human

To produce behavior, motivational states necessitate at least three fundamental operations, including (1) selection of objectives focused on goal-objects, (2) compilation of goal-object information, and (3) determination of physical plans for securing goal-objects. The second of these general operations has been theorized to involve three subprocesses: (a) feature detection and other perceptual processing of putative goal-object "rewards," (b) valuation of goal-object worth in the context of potential hedonic deficit states, and (c) extraction of incidence and temporal data regarding the goal-object. A number of subcortical brain regions appear to be involved in these three informational subprocesses, in particular, the amygdala, sublenticular extended amygdala (SLEA) of the basal forebrain, and nucleus accumbens/subcallosal cortex (NAc/SCC). Components of the amygdala, SLEA, and NAc/SCC together constitute the larger anatomic structure of the extended amygdala. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of humans have recently begun to localize these subcortical regions within the extended amygdala during specific experimental conditions. In this manuscript, two human cocaine- infusion studies and one cognitive psychology experiment are reviewed in relation to their pattern of fMRI activation within regions of the extended amygdala. Activation in the NAc/SCC, in particular, is evaluated in relation to a hypothesis that one function of the NAc/SCC and associated brain regions is the evaluation of goal-object incidence data for the computation of conditional probabilities regarding goal-object availability. Further work is warranted to test hypothesized functions for all regions within the extended amygdala and integrate them toward an understanding of motivated behavior.